LG Ultrawide LG Ultrawide 38BP85C-W 38" Class UW-QHD+ Curved Review

The LG 38BP85C-W is a productivity-focused ultrawide with elite features (98th percentile) but mediocre gaming performance (38th percentile). Its 38-inch 3840x1600 curved screen is fantastic for multitasking. Buy it for your home office, not your battlestation.

The LG 38BP85C-W is a 38-inch ultrawide that's built for work, not war. Its 3840x1600 resolution lands it in the 76th percentile for display quality, which means you get a lot of screen real estate for spreadsheets and timelines, but it's not the sharpest pixel in the shed. Where this monitor really shines is in its features and connectivity, scoring in the 98th and 95th percentiles respectively. That's a fancy way of saying it's packed with ports and adjustments, making it a Swiss Army knife for a desk setup.

Our scoring puts it at a 77.5/100 for office work, which is its sweet spot. It's a productivity powerhouse first and foremost. The 74.3 total score tells you it's a solid all-rounder, but that 38th percentile performance ranking is a clear signal: this isn't a monitor built for chasing high frame rates.

Let's be clear about performance: it's in the 38th percentile. The 5ms response time and FreeSync support are fine for casual gaming or movies, but they're not going to compete with dedicated high-refresh rate panels. The 300-nit brightness and HDR10 support are decent, landing in the 87th percentile for color, so your work and videos will look good, just not blindingly vibrant. The real performance here is in multitasking. That 3840x1600 resolution on a 21:9 curved IPS panel gives you the horizontal space to have three windows open comfortably without constantly alt-tabbing.

With prices floating between $1000 and $1111, you're paying a premium for that expansive screen and robust feature set. The value proposition hinges entirely on how much you need an ultrawide for work. If you live in spreadsheets or video timelines, the productivity boost might justify the cost. If you're just browsing the web, there are cheaper 4K options. Shop around, because that $111 spread means someone might have a better deal.

Compared to the Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, you're trading sheer size and gaming specs (the Samsung is a beast) for a more manageable, office-friendly form factor. Against the ASUS ROG Swift QD-OLED, you're sacrificing incredible contrast and response time for better connectivity and ergonomics out of the box. The Dell UltraSharp 27" 4K is sharper pixel-for-pixel and better for color-critical work, but you lose all that glorious ultrawide screen space. This LG carves its niche as the best-connected, most adjustable ultrawide for the price, while the others specialize in gaming or pure image quality.

Hardcore gamers should look elsewhere. That 38th percentile performance score is a deal-breaker if you want high frame rates and lightning-fast response times. Also, if you have a small desk, note the 40th percentile compactness score—this is a big, heavy monitor. And if your main use is watching movies, the 68.6 entertainment score suggests there are better, more immersive options for media consumption.

We recommend the LG 38BP85C-W if your primary need is a serious productivity monitor with every adjustment and port you could want. The data is clear: it's a top-tier office tool (77.5 score) with great features (98th percentile). We do not recommend it if your main goal is gaming or media consumption, given its 38th percentile performance and middling entertainment score. It's a specialist, and a very good one at that.